ipod shuffle challenge response
by SabbyRinaBanina
Summary: figured I'd give it a shot. Doing this is great for writer's block btw!


**_iPod Shuffle Challenge Response_**

**_Disclaimer: Tamora Pierce owns the characters and settings. The bands in_ bold _own the songs that inspired these drabbles._ **

**_Rules:_**

**_1. Pick a character, pairing, or fandom you like._**

**_2. Turn on your music player and put it on random/shuffle._**

**_3. Write a ficlet related to each song that plays. You only have the time frame of the song to finish the drabble; you start when the song starts, and stop when it's over. No lingering afterwards!_**

**_4. Do ten of these, and then post them._**

**Vivaldi/Baadsvik: L'Inverno (Winter), Op. 8 - 2. Largo by Jay Bernfeld; Bjorn Sagstad: Musica Vitae Chamber Orchestra (2.01 min)**

King Jonathan had always been eccentric. Thayet had known this from the moment she'd met him, but really? A player had walked into the ballroom with a huge monstrosity of an instrument; no one knew what on earth it was.

"This is a tuba!" He had proudly announced to the room full of confused nobles. Honestly, it sounded terrible. And Jon let him! He even started requesting songs, I mean, really? _Really_?

**For Keeps by Buddy DeFranco (6.50 min)**

Suave was Domitan's second name. All his life was spent romancing women and charming his way out of trouble with their momentarily forgotten men. Naturally, he knew jazz better than anyone, for what better music to play in the background of a romantic dinner with candlelight? All women love it! Long stemmed roses, jazz, and pricey Gallan food; simply wonderful!

Therefore, it was mind boggling when he took Kel, his lady knight, out to dinner for an evening of romance on their first date and she didn't like it! "Dom, what use is jazz?" she had asked, flabbergasted.

"_What_?"

"Well, I just don't see the point." Needless to say, Domitan was horrified; this was the music that had changed his life! From then on, he made it a point to treat her to jazz music wherever they went, but Kel still refused to love it like he did. "You just like it because it reminds you of all of your pretty little court ladies"

"It does not!" Kel just looked at him with a raised eyebrow, and he conceded the point. "Well, maybe. But just a little!" Mindelan snorted and told him to stop deluding himself.

**At Wit's End by Hans Zimmer (8.06 min- A/N, longest song ever)**

An entire company stood waiting, silent on raised ground. Tortall knew that Scanara would be attacking here at any given point, and they were ready. All was silent as the soldiers waited, tense within their armor for what if they had to face killing machines. No one was prepared for such an encounter.

Lord Raoul, the commander, knew that the soldiers of the Own and the army were getting themselves more worked up than they truly needed to be. Yes, one should be nervous before battle, but this was detrimental to the entire unit.

Riding up, he started to gallop in front of the soldiers. He showed pride, and strength. He raised his voice, and called all the men to attention. Their eyes fixed on him as his horse reared back and the sunlight glinted off armor. He cried a summons to his men to pay him heed; they would not be crushed on this day. King Maggot's men would fall, and Tortall! Tortall will triumph! No machine will slay anyone, and we will succeed! The men raised their swords and a great shout went up, just as Scanarans broke through the forest beneath them.

Tortall turned to meet them with and as they charged, there was not any hesitation in their hearts. Fear? Yes. But they rode to battle with alacrity rarely shown.

Two armies met in clashing steel and the screams of fallen men echoed over the battlefield. Chaos! Confusion! War was not glory; it was not simple and easy fights. It was so much more terrifying. Each soldier knew, and each soldier hoped to come out alive. Many wouldn't. Those who did would always remember. Still, each and every person rode forth and each offered the most precious thing they had in service to their country and king: their lives. They did it with pride and with conviction, and no one could ever take that away from them.

**Macedonian Morning by Kenneth Edge & Nikola Parov (2.58 min)**

If there was one part about getting up early in the mornings to go down onto the practice courts with her glaive, Kel would have to say that the peace was the best. Sometimes it was lonely, running through pattern dances on her own, but it was serene. No refugees needing assistance with anything, no Neal demanding attention, no higher ranking officer ordering her around. It was only her and the sun and the empty grounds. It was when she was alone that she let her guard down and remembered things she wished she didn't, the empty grounds filling in her mind with the ghosts of New Haven and soldiers she had known that had died. Mornings were a time for remembrance, in peace, so she would never forget what she fought for, her past, or who she was.

**Headstrong by Ashley Tisdale (3.11- A/N, Finally! A song with lyrics! =D)**

There was a time for prudence, and there was a time for rashness. Daine honestly couldn't tell which would be better now. Her first experience with the Riders was proving to be very different than what she was used to. Most of society's rules were out the window. Everyone mingled with everyone else, there were no social lines drawn between races of social standings. Everyone did what they wanted, when they wanted, how they wanted. It was a free world where people could be who they wanted. Daine was not used to that at all; Snowsdale had socially been so… structured! "Daine! Come on! These days, you can be whoever you want to! You should know that my now!" Onua told her, grinning impishly.

**11 Out Of 10 by Play (3.46 min)**

There were so many things to call Rosto. He was a thief, he was the Rouge!, he was infamously a playboy, always having \girls hanging of his arm. His latest girlfriend was terrible, though, possibly worse than him! Hotheaded and prideful and vain, Beka hated her. Beka knew that Rosto loved to use women, but it bugged her that she was using him. Maybe it's what he deserved, but Beka still didn't like it. It got to the point where the stupid mot would follow him around everywhere he went, and Beka couldn't take it anymore. "No, you can't come in anymore. I can't be around you anymore. She's always with you, and she's driving me nuts! You can come back whenever you break it off with her" I suppose it was very cruel to do to a friend, especially him, the hurt in his eyes was obvious and I knew saying that to him had cut deep. I don't regret it though, I doubt I ever will; she's _that_ annoying.

**Wordplay by Jason Mraz (3.09 min)**

If there was anything Neal loved to do, it was talk. He could talk faster than anyone in the palace, and even though he was still just a squire, he had quite the reputation. Not for twisting words, but saying them! He was the best at tounge twisters and he never faultered when reading or speaking. Naturally, with his inherent skill in speaking, he loved to play with words and make up rhymes and songs and riddles. Neal could appreciate the magic of wordplay, unfortunately, none of his fellow knights in training could. They never listened to a word he said, though they told him it was because he never shut up, he never could quite believe that. It's not possible to not appreciate words! That was when Neal decided that his fate was to be misunderstood, mostly because he spoke to fast for anyone to accurately process anything he said, but alas, so goes the tragic fate of the true poet.

**Burn by Usher (4.17 min)**

Cleon loved her. He really did. Kel was the most wonderful person he'd ever met, sweet, kind, determined, smart, pretty, funny, just…amazing. He knew, deep down, that their relationship would never realistically last long. Not when he was engaged. He was trying to get his mother to change it, and while she was sympathetic to his woes, she was unrelenting.

After the crops failed, Cleon knew what he'd have to do. He'd need to marry his betrothed, and in order to do that, he would have to do the hardest thing he's ever had to do. Cleon would have to break up with Kel, his one and only love, so he believed. He knew it was for the best, and that he'd have to eventually. The collected half knew it would need ot be done, but the other half screamed at him to not let go of her. He was in so much pain, he missed her, he didn't want to let her go, but he had to. Cleon was not one let his people starve because of his own feelings; he would do his duty to his people, no matter. He'd have to let their relationship burn, no matter how much he didn't want to.

**The Star Spangled Banner by John Philip Sousa Arr. Walter Damrosch (1.40 min)**

Pride in the country was important, and Alanna felt it to her very bones. She stared up at the Tortallan flag while it flew over the remains of a fort. It was the midst of a battle and arrows were flying through the air around it. The stormy sky was lighting up the background behind the flag in a majestic background, and Alanna knew that it would never fall because of the brave people fighting for it before her in an epic battle that would go down in history.

**What About Now by Daughtry (4.10 min)**

She was always putting him off, 'not now, I can't, I'm scared'. It was frustrating, but George understood. Alanna was that way, and he would wait. He would wait for as long as he had to because he knew that she would be his one day. She had come back from the desert, he knew as soon as she had ridden in that something had happened between her and Jon. He shouldn't feel glad about it, but deep inside himself he felt smug; he wouldn't need to be jealous anymore.

She came to him, just to talk, and they had, and that was when he convinced her. He knew that she had no more excuses, and that she wanted it as badly as he did. He knew she understood that he was hers forever, and she finally accepted it. Now was the time to become what they were supposed to be, and it was the greatest moment of his life when she looked up at him and told him "This should have happened a long time ago" She didn't know it, but George did, this time, this moment, before it had become too late, she had given herself to him just like he had given himself to her so long ago. 'What about now?' he asked her silently as his kissed her and she had given him the best answer in the world, 'now'.


End file.
